We sat at the bar, we had the best service, the bartenders were awesome, drinks were delicious, the meatballs were fabulous and our meal was to die for. It was so good! I can't wait to go back 😍
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raef Fahmy
Very tasty veal dish enjoyed, nice staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ronan O'Doherty
The good, the bad & the ugly
The good - second time at Carmine with a couple who go semi-regular. Lively spot with a rough 90-minute reservation expectation. Drinks were got, appetizers of mussels & meatballs were great. Server recommended a good bottle of Cabernet. Braised Rib, Chix Parm & the Veal special were solid.
The bad – 10 minutes into the appetizers, we were rapidly presented with two out of our four entrees (veal & chix parm). The food runner stood as we juggled plates & consolidated items to allow him to drop off. It took an additional 5 minutes or so for the other two entrees (ribs & clams) to appear, so clearly the timing was off somewhere. We joked that we may have gotten another tables dinner.
My wife got the $36 clam special but after a taste or two, she said it was very salty. The other couple tried it & agreed. For probably only the third time in 28 years of knowing her, my wife told the server that she couldn’t eat her meal & he offered to have it remade. My wife said the taste had put her off the dish & wanted the Veal special as an alternative. By the time the alternate came, us three had basically finished up, so a box & the bill was asked for. The $36 overly salted clams remained on the bill. We asked the server why so, and if he could remove it. He said he couldn’t as my wife had refused to allow them to remake the overly salted clams & had ordered the alternate veal dinner but retreated to ask the chef.
The ugly – Our server didn’t come back, but the ‘manager’ came over asking what the issue was. We restated ours & he basically told us that if the restaurant wasn’t allowed to remake the overly salted clams, we must pay for the inedible salted clams. Having now spent over $400 on a couple’s dinner, we asked for a revised bill but were refused. At no time was the typical comp in a similar situation or an apology offered, nor an attempt made to placate the situation. Customer service was clearly not on top of the mind as the conversation became heated & loud.
If it is indeed restaurant policy to remake a dish that the customer feels they cannot eat due to its taste, the server should have been crystal clear on this $36 dish. Knowing that, my wife most likely would have simply not eaten at that point.
Food runners should know to peak at a table before dropping entrees, clear off apps etc.
Manager needs some hospitality classes & learn to have some humility while dealing with customers. Instead of the ‘like it or leave’ attitude, Google the blameless apology.
Our last time eating there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parm
Joe Nasr
Excellent experience. Won’t be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stella Chen
Really liked the Garlic Shrimp in the Pan appetizer! The sauce is very flavorful. Thumbs up to the complimentary bread with the garlic infused olive oil. It’s simple but delicious. We also ordered the chicken parm which is good too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
todd trudeau
So this was my birthday dinner very, very disappointed on the whole. Experience. So When we got there for our reservations, the hostess was not so inviting Or seemed like she did not want to be there. She kind of made a big deal that she had to go clean a table off for us to go sit down at which she never took us to but just pointed and said there your table. No menus were brought to us and nobody said we had to scan the QR Code that was at the table. When the waiter came he did not Mention any specials. We ordered our food. Which came out before the bread even came To the table which we had to ask about. We had to ask the waiter to bring us a few things which he forgot. The first time around and then a few times after that. The food looked like it was taken from the bottom of the pan and put on a plate and called it a day. It had no taste and It was not presented to restaurant quality. The waiter never came back to check on us, even though he did come back to check other tables that were around us , we needed salt and pepper, were my other half found the pepper on different table, I had to get up and go into the Restaurant To ask for some salt, The check was brought to us without asking. If we wanted any dessert or mentioning anything about my birthday which they knew about. Because we put it on our reservation. And the time we went for dinner. The place was not busy so they can't use that as a reason for poor quality all around and I can understand 1 person having a off day. But the whole thing from start to end was off.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Shep Castillo
This restaurant was beyond disappointing. Visiting Newburyport for the first time for a birthday on 9/13/24. Recently dined at Carmine's for a special occasion, and unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. Upon arrival, the hostess seemed visibly annoyed when we requested an outdoor seat which we did when making reservation which set a negative tone for the evening. She didn't escort us to our table after clearing table and appeared uninterested in providing a warm welcome.
The service did not improve with our waiter, who began our meal in a friendly manner but failed to inquire about appetizers or desserts. Despite mentioning it was a birthday when making the reservation, there was no acknowledgment or gesture from the staff to celebrate the occasion. We had to ask for bread a few times and finally someone brought bread . No bread basket just 2 tiny slices
One major issue was the delayed service. I requested sweetener for my iced tea, but it took over 20 minutes for it to arrive—by which time I had to ask again. When it finally came, it was a tasteless, unpleasant experience that did not enhance the drink.
The meal itself was underwhelming it was a tasteless, unpleasant experience . The dish I ordered was bland, dry, and lacked the expected flavors and presentation. The portion was meager, and the overall quality seemed thrown together without care.
Throughout our visit, the waiter disappeared for extended periods, and another staff member had to take over to bring salt for my tasteless Carbanero and the check. The service was inattentive, and the restaurant was not particularly busy at the time. We were sitting outside and there was only one other table of 2,
Overall, Carmine's did not meet expectations for a special celebration, and I would not recommend it based on this experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Michelle Lee
I was very disappointed in the eggplant parm. I'm trying to do low carb and I love eggplant parm. This dish was SO disappointing. It was mostly pasta with random pieces of eggplant throughout the pasta. They should not call this eggplant parm, they should call it pasta with a few bites of eggplant. The flavor was delicious, but it was mostly pasta. Also, cramped dining
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Gail Sears
I absolutely love Carmine's. It's a wonderful, small, beautiful space right downtown Newburyport. The food is outstanding. I've had some of my best Italian meals there (and yes, I've been to the North End and Italy). The reason I probably won't go back is that it is incredibly noisy. I know a lot of people like the vibe but my husband and I literally were yelling at each other in order to be heard. Maybe if we go at 4:00 some day or even sit at the bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 4
Catherine Watkins
I’ve been here a few times and I love the food. This last time though - everything was great until we were finishing our wine - after paying the bill - and the very anxious hostess asked us to wrap it up (after we had reservations and only had been there an hour) because the next party was coming in (in what we guessed 15 minutes, they hadn’t arrived yet)… and she kept looking at us until we finished making it so awkward. I’ve never in my life encountered this. Terrible to be rushed out. Who does this? I want to return but this experience will give me pause.
I shocked this restaurant isn’t at 5 stars!!! Great spot for a delicious Italian dinner, It felt like a real treat, between the atmosphere, the great service (CJ and crew great job), and of course the food. The spaghetti with clams beat all expectations, not only was were the clams great, but the white sauce was A+. My Scallops with a spicy red sauce is giving me hugs from the inside. The Salad is well portioned! No desserts offered but with all that food who has room , Great place for a romantic dinner or couples night. Love this place and will be going back
Parking: Free parking after 6pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallop Fra Diavlo, Spaghetti and Clams
Mackenzie Kelleher
I was surprised to see Carmine only has 4.3 stars. This is by far the best restaurant in Newburyport or in the top couple for food, wine, service and vibe. My husband and I often drive to Portsmouth or Boston for a nice meal and were so happy with our experience at Carmine! We will definitely be back for more date nights. It’s nice to be able to sit outside in the summer. The waiter with the beard is excellent! Knowledgeable and great service. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris Renn
Can't say enough about this spot! LOVE it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Asiago Meatballs
Joe
The best Italian food in Newburyport hands down. I'd put it up there with the great Italian restaurants in the north end of Boston any day. Everything was delicious from the bread, the appetizers, to the entrées. It is a cozy place so you will be close to the other diners, and the place always has a buzz of mixed conversations that adds character to a place that already has plenty of it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emma Casale
Have been here twice and the food and staff have been beyond amazing both times. Dennis our waiter was very friendly and really helpful with wine selection. All the food was extremely good as well, highly recommend!!
We sat at the bar, we had the best service, the bartenders were awesome, drinks were delicious, the meatballs were fabulous and our meal was to die for. It was so good! I can't wait to go back 😍
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very tasty veal dish enjoyed, nice staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The good, the bad & the ugly
The good - second time at Carmine with a couple who go semi-regular. Lively spot with a rough 90-minute reservation expectation. Drinks were got, appetizers of mussels & meatballs were great. Server recommended a good bottle of Cabernet. Braised Rib, Chix Parm & the Veal special were solid.
The bad – 10 minutes into the appetizers, we were rapidly presented with two out of our four entrees (veal & chix parm). The food runner stood as we juggled plates & consolidated items to allow him to drop off. It took an additional 5 minutes or so for the other two entrees (ribs & clams) to appear, so clearly the timing was off somewhere. We joked that we may have gotten another tables dinner.
My wife got the $36 clam special but after a taste or two, she said it was very salty. The other couple tried it & agreed. For probably only the third time in 28 years of knowing her, my wife told the server that she couldn’t eat her meal & he offered to have it remade. My wife said the taste had put her off the dish & wanted the Veal special as an alternative. By the time the alternate came, us three had basically finished up, so a box & the bill was asked for. The $36 overly salted clams remained on the bill. We asked the server why so, and if he could remove it. He said he couldn’t as my wife had refused to allow them to remake the overly salted clams & had ordered the alternate veal dinner but retreated to ask the chef.
The ugly – Our server didn’t come back, but the ‘manager’ came over asking what the issue was. We restated ours & he basically told us that if the restaurant wasn’t allowed to remake the overly salted clams, we must pay for the inedible salted clams. Having now spent over $400 on a couple’s dinner, we asked for a revised bill but were refused. At no time was the typical comp in a similar situation or an apology offered, nor an attempt made to placate the situation. Customer service was clearly not on top of the mind as the conversation became heated & loud.
If it is indeed restaurant policy to remake a dish that the customer feels they cannot eat due to its taste, the server should have been crystal clear on this $36 dish. Knowing that, my wife most likely would have simply not eaten at that point.
Food runners should know to peak at a table before dropping entrees, clear off apps etc.
Manager needs some hospitality classes & learn to have some humility while dealing with customers. Instead of the ‘like it or leave’ attitude, Google the blameless apology.
Our last time eating there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parm
Excellent experience. Won’t be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really liked the Garlic Shrimp in the Pan appetizer! The sauce is very flavorful. Thumbs up to the complimentary bread with the garlic infused olive oil. It’s simple but delicious.
We also ordered the chicken parm which is good too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So this was my birthday dinner very, very disappointed on the whole. Experience. So
When we got there for our reservations, the hostess was not so inviting Or seemed like she did not want to be there.
She kind of made a big deal that she had to go clean a table off for us to go sit down at which she never took us to but just pointed and said there your table.
No menus were brought to us and nobody said we had to scan the QR Code that was at the table. When the waiter came he did not Mention any specials. We ordered our food.
Which came out before the bread even came To the table which we had to ask about. We had to ask the waiter to bring us a few things which he forgot.
The first time around and then a few times after that.
The food looked like it was taken from the bottom of the pan and put on a plate and called it a day. It had no taste and It was not presented to restaurant quality. The waiter never came back to check on us, even though he did come back to check other tables that were around us , we needed salt and pepper, were my other half found the pepper on different table, I had to get up and go into the Restaurant To ask for some salt, The check was brought to us without asking. If we wanted any dessert or mentioning anything about my birthday which they knew about. Because we put it on our reservation. And the time we went for dinner. The place was not busy so they can't use that as a reason for poor quality all around and I can understand 1 person having a off day. But the whole thing from start to end was off.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This restaurant was beyond disappointing. Visiting Newburyport for the first time for a birthday on 9/13/24. Recently dined at Carmine's for a special occasion, and unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. Upon arrival, the hostess seemed visibly annoyed when we requested an outdoor seat which we did when making reservation which set a negative tone for the evening. She didn't escort us to our table after clearing table and appeared uninterested in providing a warm welcome.
The service did not improve with our waiter, who began our meal in a friendly manner but failed to inquire about appetizers or desserts. Despite mentioning it was a birthday when making the reservation, there was no acknowledgment or gesture from the staff to celebrate the occasion. We had to ask for bread a few times and finally someone brought bread . No bread basket just 2 tiny slices
One major issue was the delayed service. I requested sweetener for my iced tea, but it took over 20 minutes for it to arrive—by which time I had to ask again. When it finally came, it was a tasteless, unpleasant experience that did not enhance the drink.
The meal itself was underwhelming it was a tasteless, unpleasant experience . The dish I ordered was bland, dry, and lacked the expected flavors and presentation. The portion was meager, and the overall quality seemed thrown together without care.
Throughout our visit, the waiter disappeared for extended periods, and another staff member had to take over to bring salt for my tasteless Carbanero and the check. The service was inattentive, and the restaurant was not particularly busy at the time. We were sitting outside and there was only one other table of 2,
Overall, Carmine's did not meet expectations for a special celebration, and I would not recommend it based on this experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
I was very disappointed in the eggplant parm. I'm trying to do low carb and I love eggplant parm. This dish was SO disappointing. It was mostly pasta with random pieces of eggplant throughout the pasta. They should not call this eggplant parm, they should call it pasta with a few bites of eggplant. The flavor was delicious, but it was mostly pasta. Also, cramped dining
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
I absolutely love Carmine's. It's a wonderful, small, beautiful space right downtown Newburyport. The food is outstanding. I've had some of my best Italian meals there (and yes, I've been to the North End and Italy). The reason I probably won't go back is that it is incredibly noisy. I know a lot of people like the vibe but my husband and I literally were yelling at each other in order to be heard. Maybe if we go at 4:00 some day or even sit at the bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 4
I’ve been here a few times and I love the food. This last time though - everything was great until we were finishing our wine - after paying the bill - and the very anxious hostess asked us to wrap it up (after we had reservations and only had been there an hour) because the next party was coming in (in what we guessed 15 minutes, they hadn’t arrived yet)… and she kept looking at us until we finished making it so awkward. I’ve never in my life encountered this. Terrible to be rushed out. Who does this? I want to return but this experience will give me pause.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
I shocked this restaurant isn’t at 5 stars!!!
Great spot for a delicious Italian dinner, It felt like a real treat, between the atmosphere, the great service (CJ and crew great job), and of course the food. The spaghetti with clams beat all expectations, not only was were the clams great, but the white sauce was A+. My Scallops with a spicy red sauce is giving me hugs from the inside. The Salad is well portioned! No desserts offered but with all that food who has room , Great place for a romantic dinner or couples night. Love this place and will be going back
Parking: Free parking after 6pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallop Fra Diavlo, Spaghetti and Clams
I was surprised to see Carmine only has 4.3 stars. This is by far the best restaurant in Newburyport or in the top couple for food, wine, service and vibe. My husband and I often drive to Portsmouth or Boston for a nice meal and were so happy with our experience at Carmine! We will definitely be back for more date nights. It’s nice to be able to sit outside in the summer. The waiter with the beard is excellent! Knowledgeable and great service. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Can't say enough about this spot! LOVE it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Asiago Meatballs
The best Italian food in Newburyport hands down. I'd put it up there with the great Italian restaurants in the north end of Boston any day. Everything was delicious from the bread, the appetizers, to the entrées. It is a cozy place so you will be close to the other diners, and the place always has a buzz of mixed conversations that adds character to a place that already has plenty of it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Have been here twice and the food and staff have been beyond amazing both times. Dennis our waiter was very friendly and really helpful with wine selection. All the food was extremely good as well, highly recommend!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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