When I was a child, there was an Italian restaurant here called Peppino’s. We probably went there more than any other restaurant. Consistently good food.
This place has been a few different incarnations of Italian restaurants since then. Despite living in this area for a while again now, I haven’t tried this place again until tonight. Wow, what a mistake!
It’s owned by different people than when it was Peppino’s and the menu isn’t the same either but it has all the typical Italian food you’d expect. Everything we ate was great. The portions were huge and very reasonably priced ($20 for an entree - that’s crazy nowadays!). Especially considering salad and bread came with the meal which seems like something you don’t get too often anymore.
I definitely plan to come back. My biggest regret is having lived in this area for so long and not giving the “new” (not new at all -it’s been here at least 8 years) restaurant a shot. Truly a gem.
And if you’re old enough to have dined at any of the previous incarnations, prepare yourself for a trip down memory lane. It’s pretty much the same place inside and out!
Jeanne Ciarleglio
Dining at Carmine's di Vega is always a pleasure, and easily one of the most consistent and comforting restaurant experiences I’ve had. The quality of the food is exceptional—each dish is thoughtfully prepared, beautifully presented, and full of rich, authentic flavor. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, the culinary standard never wavers.
The service is equally impressive. The staff is professional, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. They create a seamless dining experience from start to finish, with just the right balance of friendliness and professionalism.
As someone with food allergies, dining out can often be stressful—but not here. The chefs at Carmine's di Vega are conscientious and understanding, taking the time to ensure every meal I receive is completely safe, without compromising on taste. I’m always impressed by their ability to deliver delicious, worry-free dishes that meet my dietary needs.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a relaxed yet refined vibe that makes you feel instantly at home. What truly sets this place apart, though, are the owners. They are genuinely welcoming, always present, and clearly passionate about what they do. Their warmth and hospitality elevate the experience and make every visit feel personal.
Carmine's di Vega isn’t just a great restaurant—it’s a place you'll look forward to returning to time and again. I know I do!
Lisa Veracierta
Ate here for the first time. The red sauce linguine and clams was out of this world. We will definitely come back again. Service and food were impeccable. I give it a 10.
Donna Pedrolini
Have been coming to this restaurant for decades. Food is consistently good. Love the Italian singer on the weekend.
Daniela Reyes H.
The best Italian food in New Haven and service is amazing! Highly recommended!!
Suzanne Rodriguez
This place is great! Terrific staff, and delicious food! A+++++
John Amodeo
I love this place. I recently discovered it with my various lunch groups. Have been 3 times and never disappointed. Service is polite and very attentive. Prices are reasonable. The food is plentiful and delicious. Especially enjoyed the chicken capricisio and veal Marsala. Fried calamari app is tender and light. Atmosphere is a bit dark but well worth the rest of the dining experience. Can’t wait to return.
Diane Panasci
I love the food! The wait staff is amazing and the chef always willing to let me redesign my dish! Alex is especially kind and knowledgeable!
Nicole Romano
We came for lunch and had the best experience. The food is off the charts good. We started with the freshly baked warm bread with honeyed butter and with a nice salad- all included -which is sadly a rarity nowadays. We then had the sole which was done with fresh flavorful tomatoes, olives and capers with fresh green beans and roasted potatoes on the side. The chicken Parmesan was cooked to perfection with a thick and rich sauce. The pasta on the side had a different sauce with more garlic which was excellent. This meal was large enough for a full lunch, with leftovers for a second meal. The portions, atmosphere, attentiveness, quality and flavor, all 5++ stars! And the price - if we paid double we still would have felt it was worth it. A hidden gem and a new favorite.
Michael Miller
We are just home from lunch at Carmine's di Vega. This was our first time here, but it most certainly will not be our last. The place is beautifully appointed, our server Michael took great care of us, and the food was excellent. Our foursome were given generous salads, lots of bread with oil, butter and spices, and plentiful lunch portions that were uniformly delicious. We received four takehome boxes for our leftovers, and we enjoyed all of this for what we thought were very reasonable prices. It's 5 stars from all four of us. And we're happy to share our experience with you.
They have some vegetarian options. I got tbe eggplant parmegiana that was excellent!!!
Carolina Sosa
We reserve table, when arrive the person in charge was no in the mood, no waitress, people cleaning the place, we have to leave, I'm disappointed because we have good recommendations about the food and atmosphere.
KAMP Space
I’ve lived in New Haven for over 8 years and have always wanted to dine in at this place, as my cousin never seems to stop talking about it. Finally, after 8 years, I decided to stop in with my family. We arrived at 6:30PM, and ordered everything by 6:40. By 8:10, we were watching other tables be served their meals, while still waiting for ours to arrive. By 8:20, we had finally had enough of waiting and canceled our order. The atmosphere of this place seems great, but staff cannot seem to handle running a proper dinner service. Food doesn’t show up, you ask about it , they insure you that it’s being cooked and then another 30-40 minutes go by and you get the same excuse. Seems that this isn’t the first time they haven’t been able to get food out on time and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
After not eating all day, we decided to cancel our order and go eat at the bar down the road instead. When we asked for the bill, we were given a receipt that was charging us for the food we never got. After getting them to correct the bill, they tried one additional time to slip a food item on to it without our noticing. On the third attempt , we finally got our server to charge us for the drinks that were ran to the table.
There is no good reason that food should ever take more than 45 minutes to get to a table. I’m not sure if these guys were short staffed or just weren’t prepared for a Saturday night dinner service: either way, the dinner we never received could’ve been great and it’s a shame I’ll never know how good / bad the food here really is.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jonathan Mahan
Great entrees and friendly staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Wick
The chicken paccacio*** (no idea how to spell it) was amazing with double vegetables. See pictures. Incredible food.
When I was a child, there was an Italian restaurant here called Peppino’s. We probably went there more than any other restaurant. Consistently good food.
This place has been a few different incarnations of Italian restaurants since then. Despite living in this area for a while again now, I haven’t tried this place again until tonight. Wow, what a mistake!
It’s owned by different people than when it was Peppino’s and the menu isn’t the same either but it has all the typical Italian food you’d expect. Everything we ate was great. The portions were huge and very reasonably priced ($20 for an entree - that’s crazy nowadays!). Especially considering salad and bread came with the meal which seems like something you don’t get too often anymore.
I definitely plan to come back. My biggest regret is having lived in this area for so long and not giving the “new” (not new at all -it’s been here at least 8 years) restaurant a shot. Truly a gem.
And if you’re old enough to have dined at any of the previous incarnations, prepare yourself for a trip down memory lane. It’s pretty much the same place inside and out!
Dining at Carmine's di Vega is always a pleasure, and easily one of the most consistent and comforting restaurant experiences I’ve had. The quality of the food is exceptional—each dish is thoughtfully prepared, beautifully presented, and full of rich, authentic flavor. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, the culinary standard never wavers.
The service is equally impressive. The staff is professional, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. They create a seamless dining experience from start to finish, with just the right balance of friendliness and professionalism.
As someone with food allergies, dining out can often be stressful—but not here. The chefs at Carmine's di Vega are conscientious and understanding, taking the time to ensure every meal I receive is completely safe, without compromising on taste. I’m always impressed by their ability to deliver delicious, worry-free dishes that meet my dietary needs.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a relaxed yet refined vibe that makes you feel instantly at home. What truly sets this place apart, though, are the owners. They are genuinely welcoming, always present, and clearly passionate about what they do. Their warmth and hospitality elevate the experience and make every visit feel personal.
Carmine's di Vega isn’t just a great restaurant—it’s a place you'll look forward to returning to time and again. I know I do!
Ate here for the first time. The red sauce linguine and clams was out of this world. We will definitely come back again. Service and food were impeccable. I give it a 10.
Have been coming to this restaurant for decades. Food is consistently good. Love the Italian singer on the weekend.
The best Italian food in New Haven and service is amazing!
Highly recommended!!
This place is great! Terrific staff, and delicious food! A+++++
I love this place. I recently discovered it with my various lunch groups. Have been 3 times and never disappointed. Service is polite and very attentive. Prices are reasonable. The food is plentiful and delicious. Especially enjoyed the chicken capricisio and veal Marsala. Fried calamari app is tender and light. Atmosphere is a bit dark but well worth the rest of the dining experience. Can’t wait to return.
I love the food! The wait staff is amazing and the chef always willing to let me redesign my dish! Alex is especially kind and knowledgeable!
We came for lunch and had the best experience. The food is off the charts good. We started with the freshly baked warm bread with honeyed butter and with a nice salad- all included -which is sadly a rarity nowadays. We then had the sole which was done with fresh flavorful tomatoes, olives and capers with fresh green beans and roasted potatoes on the side. The chicken Parmesan was cooked to perfection with a thick and rich sauce. The pasta on the side had a different sauce with more garlic which was excellent. This meal was large enough for a full lunch, with leftovers for a second meal. The portions, atmosphere, attentiveness, quality and flavor, all 5++ stars! And the price - if we paid double we still would have felt it was worth it. A hidden gem and a new favorite.
We are just home from lunch at Carmine's di Vega. This was our first time here, but it most certainly will not be our last. The place is beautifully appointed, our server Michael took great care of us, and the food was excellent. Our foursome were given generous salads, lots of bread with oil, butter and spices, and plentiful lunch portions that were uniformly delicious. We received four takehome boxes for our leftovers, and we enjoyed all of this for what we thought were very reasonable prices. It's 5 stars from all four of us. And we're happy to share our experience with you.
Restaurantji Recommends
They have some vegetarian options. I got tbe eggplant parmegiana that was excellent!!!
We reserve table, when arrive the person in charge was no in the mood, no waitress, people cleaning the place, we have to leave, I'm disappointed because we have good recommendations about the food and atmosphere.
I’ve lived in New Haven for over 8 years and have always wanted to dine in at this place, as my cousin never seems to stop talking about it. Finally, after 8 years, I decided to stop in with my family. We arrived at 6:30PM, and ordered everything by 6:40. By 8:10, we were watching other tables be served their meals, while still waiting for ours to arrive. By 8:20, we had finally had enough of waiting and canceled our order. The atmosphere of this place seems great, but staff cannot seem to handle running a proper dinner service. Food doesn’t show up, you ask about it , they insure you that it’s being cooked and then another 30-40 minutes go by and you get the same excuse. Seems that this isn’t the first time they haven’t been able to get food out on time and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
After not eating all day, we decided to cancel our order and go eat at the bar down the road instead. When we asked for the bill, we were given a receipt that was charging us for the food we never got. After getting them to correct the bill, they tried one additional time to slip a food item on to it without our noticing. On the third attempt , we finally got our server to charge us for the drinks that were ran to the table.
There is no good reason that food should ever take more than 45 minutes to get to a table. I’m not sure if these guys were short staffed or just weren’t prepared for a Saturday night dinner service: either way, the dinner we never received could’ve been great and it’s a shame I’ll never know how good / bad the food here really is.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great entrees and friendly staff!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The chicken paccacio*** (no idea how to spell it) was amazing with double vegetables. See pictures. Incredible food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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