We visited to celebrate our anniversary and were delighted by the service. Every dish was brought out by someone from the kitchen and artfully explained. The menu seems to rotate quite often, but we enjoyed the cucumbers and the snap peas for appetizers. For entrees, we enjoyed the skirt steak and the pea pasta. Both wonderful! I especially enjoyed the skirt steak. It was cooked beautifully, and the eggplant on the side was STUNNING! We ate our meal on the outside patio, and it was a perfect sunny summer evening. We made a reservation and noted it was for a special celebration/anniversary, and it is always special when that is acknowledged. However, Carnal did not do anything to celebrate the special event. Overall, it was unique and beautifully crafted food with attentive service. Great meal! read more

Carnal - Skirt Steak - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Service was good. Potato brioche with the green tomato butter was good as well as the gem lettuce salad and smoked asparagus. Thought the branzino was executed well. Short rib dish was tender with sweet potatoes. read more

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First, a shout to Bellingham. If you've not been to this picture perfect hamlet on the north coast of the Puget Sound, you're missing out. Bellingham is a great little city (heck, not so little). Now Carnal, sophisticated, contemporary, and hip. A cool space - with a bit of a noise issue, given the amount of stoned surfaces and walls- that feels like it belongs in San Francisco. The menu is eclectic, meaning the plates are all some variation on New American cuisine - and the flavors are spectacular. There are interesting hints of fresh herbs and spices in all the dishes. The French fries, well . . . visit Carnal for the fries alone and you'll be a very satisfied guest. The beef takes center stage, with superbly cooked, seasoned, and cut offerings. Our table had a variety of dishes and shared family style, as we are a family :-) Perhaps what impressed me the most was the expertly curated wine selection. Really interesting pours and bottles. Not up for wine, they have a full array of bespoke cocktails. Really nice stuff. As for the service - incredibly attentive and efficient. People with a smile. That's so nice. read more

My recent visit to Carnal, located around the Central Business District in Bellingham, WA, left me thoroughly impressed. Intrigued by the rave reviews, we decided to explore this local gem, and we're glad we did! Carnal's menu, though simple, offers a delightful array of dishes that showcase creativity and a commitment to quality ingredients. Each plate was interesting, expertly crafted and beautifully presented. While we couldn't indulge in their colourful cocktails on this visit due to the long drive ahead, we are excited to return and try them out. We captured a few highlights from our meal: * Housemade Brioche Rolls: These were incredibly soft and buttery, a definite must-order. * Fried Chicken Wings: Roasted in duck fat, these were hands down the best wings I have ever had. * Grilled Pork Rib Cap: A unique and flavorful dish. * Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs: It is no surprise that nearly every table enjoyed these. They were cooked and seasoned to perfection, truly unique. Overall, Carnal is a must-visit for anyone in Bellingham looking for a memorable dining experience. We can't wait to return and explore more of their menu, especially those cocktails! Food: 4/5 Must Try! Service: 4/5 Kids: 3/5 A-OK for kids. (Caters more to adults) Price: $50-$100 USD for two (dinner) Presentation: 3/5 Parking: Free parking in the neighbourhood after 6 pm. Tips: * have an open-concept interior and lovely outdoor patio seating. * are designed for sharing and have a limited but uniquely crafted menu. * are perfect for date night or ladies night. Would I Return: Yes * read more

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I think this may be one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at! They have an amazing selection of small plates and we ordered many. They are vegetarian friendly and our server was very knowledgeable about the various dishes and the ingredients. Great selection of cocktails too! You must have a reservation! It's pretty casual and on a nice day, they have a good outdoor space. Do not overlook this place!! read more

Honestly the food was amazing. Nothing was even mediocre. Had the honey squash, mussel toast, pasta (ramulata??), tomato's and Parker house rolls, gem salad in that order of rating but even our 'last' gem salad was so good! read more

My favorite spot in Bellingham. It's one thing to create a menu like this in a smaller town, and it's another thing to execute. From unique cocktails to intense attention to detail across the whole menu, this place is awesome. Extra points for sitting at the bar and watching the crew in action read more

Confusion on our part. We have a group of 6. Two couples thought we had reservations, neither of us actually did. Ha. Ha. Thank goodness we ended up at Carnal. What a find! Indoor or outdoor the setting was welcoming and we immediately felt comfortable like this was one of our regular haunts. The food - served family style - could easily be considered "comfort food". To start we devoured two orders of sourdough plus two of hamachi crudo. Hooooowdy!!! If we were not so excited for our main course we would have ordered another round of these. For the main course we enjoyed marinated avocado. hanger steak. Miso cod, Short ribs and broccolini. The food was so good I failed to take pictures!!! Doip. Guess I need to go back! Setting: 5 Star. Hip, underground vibe. Employees: 5 Star Fun, uniquely groovy, and super positive. Food: 5 star. Strong menu. Great variety. Amazing taste with savory flavors. An attractive collage in the family style presentation. Highly recommend carne for a one time gastro-indulgence as your traveling through. OR, if local, start hitting Carne on a regular basis. #luckylocals read more

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We came to Carnal as a party of 8 on Saturday at about 6:00 on Saturday. We were able to be seated right away and beat the rush. We liked the ambiance. My first cocktail was the Tears of Chios drink-I was intrigued by the tomatillo and tree sap flavors in the description. This drink is excellent-I have never had tree sap in a drink before, but this works! I also ordered the Freedom Fighter cocktail for the watermelon + Thai basil + Szechuan combination. There was a lot going on in this mighty cocktail! Their Homemade brioche rolls are soft, fluffy and complete with brown butter. Their Steak tartare was fresh, creamy and amazing. Their homemade potato chips made this a great and refreshing texture combination. We enjoyed our time here-outstanding food, flavors and service! read more

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Great food, and great service. Ambiance was perfect for a date night with my wife. Highly recommend.

What a sensory experience this place is. The smell of the wood burning all around, the fun and unique food combinations. We mostly enjoyed our dinner heading home from Vancouver--I had to take a star because the description and what I got in my fish were not tastes I tasted and I wasn't impressed with my plate. Otherwise the rib was insanely delicious, salad was a treat, and the jerky sustained me and a friend on a 10 mile hike. Will do again one day! read more

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The food was amazing! Such a fun and creative menu, and delicious cocktails too. Great wine selection, great service, and loved the cozy ambiance with the fireplace. You have to get the steak, and the chicken wings fried in duck fat! read more

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I have eaten all over the world in places as fine dining as can be such as in Italy and France and as exotic as Vietnam, Thailand and places in Mexico (roasted chapulines anyone?), and I can readily say that I never experienced anything like Carnal. Ever. I find the concept quite fascinating: all fired up. And it creates some interesting outcomes. The grilled broccolini was very nice (even smoked sunflower seeds!) While the tops were delicious, these were the best broccolini stems I've ever eaten--juicy and flavorful. The fried chicken wings were very delicious indeed and, as our server, the very helpful and delightful Ayla told us, would be the crispiest we've ever had and yet still juicy inside. So true. What to say about the Wood Fired Maitake Mushrooms? Firstly, I've never met a maitake in my life. Now that I have, I can say these are big meaty boys. From the flavor, I would say they took to the fire well. They were very nicely and interestingly sauced. You do have to be ready for a lot of big mushroom though. I probably enjoyed them more as an experience than as a dish, but that has worth too as I started out saying about my dining travels. What I especially loved was a rarity on the menu, I was told: Steelhead Trout Tartar with charred yam, persimmon and mandarin orange topping. There really weren't individual flavors; it was really all a combo. And I thought the combination divine enough that I ordered it as a primary appetizer and then ordered a return as my dessert. The secret to a delightful little crunchiness? Cooked tapioca squirted with squid ink and then cooked again until toasty! Who would have thought? (Who would have thought it up!?!?) Of the cocktails I sampled, I especially liked the 130 Feet Tall with walnut butter, bourbon, brandy and apple cider reduction. Lovely for a cold day. All the staff who served us: Ayla, Julia and Marlena--with a surprise visit by the bartender--were fantastic. And these chefs and their cooking staffs clearly work really hard and are dedicated and passionate about what they do. An experience. (And in my head I keep saying, "In Bellingham?" Yes, here in Bellingham...to be tried for sure.) read more

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Carnal, you know, I thought there would be more meat - or at least protein - options in the menu. It was a small menu and everything is a-la-cart. So it was pricy. Portions are smaller than expected - except for the 1/2 chicken, it was, well, half a chicken. But the taste of everything was wonderful. Except the pasta. Pretty average. And for the price of a small plate... disappointing. The drinks were more show than good. We sat outside which was a cool private patio/courtyard. We did enjoy the setting. And it had overhead heater if it got chilly out there. It was a very slow dining experience for the four of us. The upside is they don't rush you but after two hours - not because we were lingering - we had to tell them we had places to go and people to see so they would get our check. Pretty casual atmosphere for such a painfully slow meal that wanted to be more than it was. Despite the taste of the food being delish, I don't plan on ever returning and don't think it was worth the visit. read more

Carnal is an experience in dining. The food is impressive in taste and appearance. The indoor dining is dark and has a modern vibe. The outdoor dining is appealing to the eye but not very comfortable if you set seated on the cement seating. The staff are great and very knowledgable about the menu options. Carnal is a higher price point than most Bellingham restaurants, but you definitely get what you pay for. read more

The food here was amazing! Staff was incredible too. It's one of those places you walk away enjoying everything you tried. Looking forward to going back. read more

Carnal - Salad - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Apologies in advance for the pictures, as these were screenshots from a video. Went out to Carnal back in September and essentially ordered everything off their intimate menu. We went as a group of 6 and didn't feel like we were being too loud or crowded, the ambiance was very good for a date night or small get together. Enjoyed everything we ate, I think I was most impressed with the King salmon bites? I don't remember what the exact dish was called, but the flavors complimented very well. Everything was presented very well. Will definitely need to come back to try more items off the menu. read more

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5-star food, service, and cocktails. Today for cocktails/mocktails we enjoyed Matilda, Virgin Mule, and the Cabernet Franc. For food, we highly recommend the beef short ribs. read more

Carnal - 24 Hour Beef Short Rib - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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In short: Fancy and ambitious without being pretentious at all. If you're at all into the food after looking at the menu online, just come check it out. It really is great. In long: Somewhat newer, at least in summer '23. Nice bustling section of State St. Big patio next door with a couple dozen tables; couple dozen more tables inside along with bar seating. You're in a long, narrow dining room with a bar at the back, and two big pass-throughs let you watch the kitchen work while it happens. Yes, you so smell smoke and it might settle on your clothes a bit at times, but yesterday there was an amazing breeze pouring through the place so we got away clean. Just wear machine-washable duds, ya dig? Seats are comfortable, and the staff are super friendly and bubbly. At least last night, the servers were all young women looking super glam, including a couple in dresses, almost evening-wear-esque. You get the sense the crew here really, really looks forward to making the most of their shifts. The menu is short. Fewer than 10 each of food, wines, and house cocktails. Couple beers. Everything is very, very well-chosen here, lots of character and interest up and down the list. Drinks We had a Slovenian white wine, a glass of whiskey, a vodka soda, and a glass of rose. They did everything right, and the wines were great new-to-us choices. Scallion Milk Rolls These are awesome, soft, flavorful brown rolls. Not much scallion. Not sure what exactly a "milk roll" is, but there was no discernible dairy in the flavor. You could order these to come out with every other dish you get, and you'd never get sick of them. They're awesome on their own, awesome with the tomato-something served with them, and awesome with everything else we sopped up. Hamachi Crudo A small portion, lots of sauce, veg, and herbs over the fish. Lovely flavors. We sent this plate back looking like it had never had food on it, since we mopped up everything with those rolls. Chicken Wings Great flavors, nice crunchy outside, hot inside but not burn-your-mouth hot. Probably the humblest dish on the menu, but very good and easy to share. $10 for 2 wings gave us a nice counterpoint between other dishes. Seared Black Cod One of the best pieces of fish I've eaten in my entire life. Very thin layer of faint crispness around the outside, then flaky, light, and falling apart inside. All kind of interesting flavors around it on the plate, making each bite a little different. Another small portion--maybe 6 ounces of fish. Worth ordering without a doubt, and you can save room to try other things, especially if you split the plate. Panna Cotta Light and jiggly on the plate. Dusted with some lighter cocoa powder of some sort. Surrounded by blueberries and compote. So airy and easy to eat you almost don't feel like you've had anything. If they had extra plates of this they were giving away I would probably eat myself into a 12-hour nap. So damn good. With a good tip, we had 5 plates and 4 drinks for about 185. Not the cheapest in town, but for food of this quality, it's an excellent value. We can't wait to come back. read more

The food was really good. Our table ordered both pastas, skirt steak, the main steak, and the black cod. We also ordered the french fries, the chicken wings, and a bib lettuce salad as appetizers. We tried four or five of their different cocktails as well. So we tried quite a few of the dishes, and all of them were really good. There are a couple of issues though. Firstly, one of the picky eaters in our party asked if the eggplant that came with a skirt steak could be subbed for something else. The answer was "no". Just one word... No. No other suggestions, no other ideas for what they could add onto their meal. The server missed an opportunity to gain an extra star on this review as well as sell us more food. The second issue we had is that gratuity was added onto our check and typically, that is shared with the guest when the bill is brought to the table. The server said absolutely nothing about the service charge, and it was only under close examination of the bill that we realized gratuity was included. The crazy thing about that is that we probably would have tipped even more than the service charge that was added, however having not been notified, we decided to leave it as is. read more

We were looking for a dog-friendly restaurant around our hotel & found this absolute GEM of a restaurant on Yelp! They were able to get us a reservation quickly in their covered area outside (they have warmers, thankfully)! Even though we were the only table outside, the servers were quick to greet us & bring us our drinks. They went over the menu & gave us some of their recommendations. Everyone was so friendly & warm! The food was SO. SO. good. Oh my goodness! Here are some of the amazing items we got: - Pig head arancini: total flavor explosion! crunchy outside, super juicy fatty inside. YUM. - Grilled maitake: who knew maitake mushrooms were so meaty! It was just crispy enough on the edges yet tender in the center. Honestly this & the broccolini could've been my top vegetable dish I had during our weeklong trip. - Chicken wings: It's $5 per wing. Seems hefty right? Until you realize you get the WHOLE wing! I loved the allspice flavoring on these. - Slow cooked beef short rib: So tender! The black truffle demi that came with it was amazing. We actually ordered this as a second time because it was so good! I only have good things to say about Carnal. The food was just phenomenal, the staff was friendly & accommodating. Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner ^-^ read more

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This was a wonderful meal. It was sad there was no bar menu during our visit. The chef visit to our table with explanation of our dishes was delightful. read more

Table for 4. Restaurant was uncomfortably cool on a fall night. Music was great. Lighting low. Designer cocktail was tasty. Menu is sparse and confusing. We found only short ribs to be other than a tapas portion but you get no indication of size on menu, just a warning from server that you get only what you order, no sides, so order two plates. The men ordered salmon that looked to be 3-4 oz prior to cooking, while Short ribs were very generously portioned. I'd eaten nothing before going so I can say with high degree of confidence that dinner made me sick (wake up in middle of night & spend an hour purging dinner). And I wouldn't even then been so quick to accuse but I gave a rib to one other at the table and he reported feeling sick too at the same time of night. Also twice I found myself with bone shards other stuff I would have avoided in my mouth, but it was too dark to actually see what I was cutting & eating. Servers were nice but dessert came after the check. read more

Carnal - King Salmon offering small but tasty. - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Lovely meal overall - service was excellent. We had the choice of sitting outdoors or indoors - we walked through the patio and elected to sit indoors simply because we were cold (the temperatures are rising in the PNW - finally! What a long cold spring it has been - but for outdoor dining we needed jackets that we didn't think to bring; Carnal does not have heaters fyi). Other Yelpers have complained about ventilation/smoke issues inside of the restaurant - if there have been problems historically they were not present last night. We sat relatively close to the kitchen without any concern whatsoever. On to the food: some real delights, mixed with some slightly less spectacular supporting players. The short rib is a must-order. It is the star of the menu by far, and they really should be charging 2x what they are currently pricing it at - it's roughly double the size of the hanger steak, and priced about the same. A real steal. The flavor and tenderness of the meat is otherworldly: you can taste the effort that has gone into this dish. By contrast the hanger steak was good, but... kind of a meh for me. The only protein we skipped on the menu was the black cod; I would come back to try that. With respect to the others, the standout appetizer is the wings (WOW, coming back for more of those as well). I also really enjoyed the mushrooms - those could easily double as a vegetarian entree; they're substantial, meaty and quite filling all on their own. I felt the same way about the beets. Items that I would probably skip next time: pork fritters (they were fine, but not repeatable/craveable), pork collar (okay, but not up to the quality of the other proteins), steak tartare (I liked it overall, but a bit too rich for me with the potato chip accompaniment - I would probably ask for some bread instead next time). read more

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Amazing flavors always love the steak, but tied the pork chop and would say it was the best I've ever had. Attentive service, and great ambiance for an intimate dinner. read more

Carnal - aged bone-in pork chop - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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All of the 5 star reviews are spot on! We had reservations for 4 at 6:45 and were seated right on time by super friendly staff. Our friendly server visited us very shortly after being seated and tended to all our needs throughout our meal! The entire staff is super friendly and very attentive, we never wanted for anything. The food was phenomenal! We started with the bread, everybody should definitely start with the bread! Then we progressed to three more small plates and four of the large plates, all were pure perfection. I highly recommend absolutely anything on the menu, no matter what it is! It changes frequently so I hate to say to get something and it not be on the menu any more so just try it all!! We ended the meal with the chocolate mousse, which of course everyone should! read more

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Five stars for the vibe and the service, 4.5 for the first two courses, the salad and carrots. Our server told us we were in luck, because there was one more serving of their famous short ribs, so we decided to try them. The first one was half fat. Very tender, good flavor, but much of it was inedible. The second was perfection. Great flavor, also tender, meaty. The third one was literally just a bone. Maybe a dog could have gnawed something off it, but it wasn't knife-and-fork friendly. So it's clear the kitchen is capable of some great things, but there was a serious lack of quality control that night. For 38 bucks, having only one third of a dish be edible is pretty sad. I did tell the server, and I'm not the "speak to the manager" type, so hopefully this is uncommon and doesn't happen to you! read more

Amazing food and service! I've gone back several times and have yet to be disappointed.

Incredible food, awesome environment. Sat right near the fireplace, very romantic. Service was great, prompt and professional. Drinks were good! read more

In my way to Blaine I stopped at Bellingham to visit some family members for dinner. As we walked in I immediately loved the décor and vibe of this place. The waitress was very nice and attentive through the night which made for a great experience. We ordered the hanger steak, cod and short rib and we were informed that all 3 dishes take over 20 minutes so we ordered a 4 piece chicken wing to start. The wings were super crispy on the outside and meat was super tender and flavorful. The hanger steak was perfectly seared on the outside with juicy and perfectly rare meat. And the cod as delicious with a citrusy pea foam on top. All and all a great meal and beautiful establishment. read more

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To find a restaurant like this while traveling down to Seattle was an absolute gift. The cocktails are so creative and the flavors are a nice change from the ordinary. The food... the homemade Brioche, best bread I have ever had. The trout was perfectly prepared. The heirloom tomato salad, who knew a thin slice of watermelon and tomatoes could taste this way?!? Don't forget the roasted miatake mushrooms, the date sauce was so special you don't want to miss it!!!! The server, I believe her name was Renee, was so helpful, so friendly and gave amazing recommendations! Great experience read more

First time here and it was an amazing experience. Service was excellent, food delish and noteworthy... conversations around the table compared it so some of the best flavors many had eaten around the world. Fresh, creative and filling, a win all the way around. Not to mention a creative and amazing Bartender. Worth a return visit for sure! read more

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While one the newest establishment in town this place has become one of Bellignham staple . We had a big party of 12 , the service was timely and impressive . Food was served family style and cooked to perfection. Ambiance was nice, our party was accommodated in a relatively secluded Corner . We'll definitely continue to have this place on our rotation . read more

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The dishes were extremely unique--combinations of food we would never fathom together, such as squash with chorizo and scallops. Yum! The bread arrived piping hot and melted in the mouth. Although everything was absolutely delicious, the chicken wings had a flavor that was indescribable, and the crispiness was perfect. A must visit dining experience! read more

Carnal - Drinks - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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15 Dec 2020 Carnal opened in the middle of Covid and has rolled with the punches admirably. The outdoor heated and shelter patio is a good spot to enjoy a drink with your food, and the takeout experience was very good. I called before they opened, and they were still kind enough to take my order. Post-Covid, this place is gonna take off even more than it has already. One cool thing is they vary their menu options a little bit every few weeks based on seasonal/fresh ingredients, so even if you've tried something before, it'll always be a little different. By the numbers: Food 4/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 Value 4/5 Slow cooked beef short rib with bone marrow - Excellent. Falling off the bone, heavy black pepper. Like a pastrami sandwich on a bone. Pineapple sweetness paired well with the savory salty meat. Crispy Brussels sprouts - Okay. Was over salted the night I had them. Loved the roasting on the sprouts and yuzu citrus note. read more

Carnal - Slow cooked beef short rib with bone marrow - Excellent - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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This place had some unique menu offerings we enjoyed by a smoldering fire on a blistering cold evening. Fun items very tasty. Dessert, however was a total miss. read more

the service was okay it was pretty slow for no-one being there but it didn't bother me too much. We got the potatoes to start which were pretty good then the trout was okay and so was our hanger steak nothing out of the ordinary. maybe too pricey for how much i enjoyed it. read more

Carnal - rainbow trout - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Easily one of my favorite spots in Bellingham! The food never disappoints. The drinks are unique and delicious. Always get the bread!! Highly recommend their Steak & Frites on Wednesdays, it's phenomenal. The atmosphere is inviting, and the patio is perfect for spring and summer! read more

Absolutely amazing beginning to end wonderful dishes this hit the spot every bite! Highly recommend! read more

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this place is a real gem. Don't go here if you're starving, portions are pretty small, but if you're looking for a really cool place with some super unique items that are delicious and then this is the spot. I have sampled most of the appetizers, entrées, and drinks, and they are all incredible to be honest. read more