Carmine´s, New York > Reviews > Good value choice for Times Square dining

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Excellent
Standard of Menu	Excellent
Atmosphere	Good
Standard of Service	Excellent

Advantages:	Great value food, lots of choice, just of Times Square
Disadvantages:	Very Busy (but I see that as a good sign too ! )

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Carmine's is an Italian restaurant located at 200W, 44th St, just off Times Square. It is well-renowned for its HUGE portions of food. It states on the menu that one dish will easily serve 2 people. We found it was plenty for 3 which made it excellent value for money! Dishes start from around $23.

Its location makes it a great choice for theatre-goers heading to nearby Broadway shows as well as people out for the evening to experience the lights of Times Square at night.

It is a very busy place and it is well worth booking a table in advance, especially if you are going to the theatre for a evening show. Book with plenty of time to spare as you will not want to rush through these massive meals! If you can wait until after the show, even better! It is open to late (we were still there at 11:30pm and it was pretty busy still!)

We found Carmine's through an article in a tourist magazine at our hotel and turned up at 8pm one evening unbooked. We were told that there was over an hour's wait for a table and offered either to wait in the bar area or they would take our name and we could come back at the allotted time. The food looked so good we were happy to wait and had a pleasant drink in the bar. As the menus here are written across the walls, we were able to choose our meal while we waited to avoid further delay once given a table.

It is a big place and as we visited in the week before Christmas, it was beautifully decorated. Like most restaurants in the area, it is exceptionally busy and not an overly relaxed atmosphere with all the coming and going. That was not a bad thing though as we were in Times Square and expected to experience the hustle and bustle that goes with it. We had a table in the window and enjoyed people watching while we waited. Times Square is a fascinating place! At no point were we made to feel unwelcome and you are given as much time as you need to choose your food, wait between courses etc.

Food choices include every type of pasta you could imagine, pizza, salad etc. Vegetarians are well catered for. You are brought a huge complimetary basket of breads while you wait. It is worth choosing a special of the day - these are often large platters of several of their best-selling dishes allowing you to try a bit of different things on offer. I was so full after the main course that I didn't get to try dessert but it looked fab! One main course is plenty enough for 2 people. If there are 3 of you it would probably still be ok (and leave room for desert!).

I am planning a trip to New York again this Christmas and we will certainly be visiting Carmine's again. I have recommended it to loads of friends - just don't forget to book in advance to avoid a long wait!