Hot Antipasto

8/20/2025

I thought me and Carmine were friends, but then he tried to kill me with food (the portions here are bananas).

Like I assume everyone else that ends up here, we were in the area to see a Broadway show. This isn't something we do regularly, but we had some friends in from out of town and it was a good chance to play tourist. (Our waitress asked us where we were from though, and was very confused when we said Brooklyn.)

This is a tourist spot for sure, but it's also a huge space that feels like a New York institution. The menu is massive, and so are the plates. It's actually the opposite of how I usually want to eat. I normally want to be able to try as many things as possible, but despite having a party of eight, we could still only order a few items. We rolled with:

The Caesar Salad. It was MASSIVE, and delicious. A literal mountain of salad, and they brought a school of anchovies on the side since some of us didn't want them on top. The only drawback is that we ate most of the salad, and were actually already full before anything else came.

The Hot Antipasto. We may has well have ordered giant blocks of cheese melted over seafood and then poured into our mouths. This platter includes Mussels Fra Diavolo, Clams Casino, Eggplant Rollatini, Stromboli with Prosciutto and Ricotta, Fried Fresh Mozzarella, Vegetable Stuffed Mushrooms, Cacio e Pepe Arancini, and Spinach & Artichoke Dip. It was not nearly as pretty as the photo on their website, but it was a HUGE portion of pretty tasty items. We brought most of it home in one box, and I ate it for a week.

The Penne Alla Vodka. A classic. You know what it is, and it's delicious. They did it right.

The Chicken Parmesan. Another classic, but to be honest with you, it was a little disappointing. Not as fresh and crisp as you want, but it mostly hit the spot.

Combine all that with a complimentary bread basket, and a few martinis, and I left as full as I've ever really been. If you're stuck in Times Square, you can do a lot worse.

2/10/2025

Came in with two others just to split the Hot Antipasto. A table during a Monday evening was a 30-minute wait, but we opted for bar seating upstairs to get seated immediately.

Really friendly, talkative bartender who took our order. As warned, this appetizer plate is huge. The artichoke dip bring's me back every time. I assure you this platter has the most flavorful options in the entire menu.

The seafood was a more chewy than tender, and a couple were burnt crispy to the plate. However, for the variety and taste of everything else, it's a great deal in Times Square.

5/7/2023

Carmine's has a great atmosphere with servers who are really knowledgeable about the menu and reading what people want. The portions are huge and delicious. If you are seeking low carb, I recommend the cold antipasto and the Fra Diavolo as they are nutritious and delicious. Although it is hard to resist the fresh bread and prime olive oil they serve with it.

The hot antipasto (pictured) has some good options but it was a little heavy for most of the options like the clams casino, cheese bread, and the fried ravioli. The brussel sprouts and cauliflower were full of flavor as well as the eggplant rollatini. However, the spinach and artichoke dip was lacking in artichokes and spinach, and the clams casino was mostly breadcrumbs and cheese.

I would definitely come back for the cold antipasto and fra diavolo or marsala dishes as well as any of the desserts. You can't go wrong with any of the desserts, just be ready to having over 2000 calories in one sitting!

4/26/2023

I've brought my family here twice and had reservations both times. It certainly helps and they didn't make us wait very long. During my last visit, we had a beautiful corner table.

Carmine's serves very large portions, family style, so you really just need 2 entrees for a family of 4. Do not make the mistake of over ordering. It'll just be way too much food.

On one visit, the bolognese was burnt and had bits of burned pieces throughout. Someone screwed up that batch. My kids just ate the pasta around it.
I also had the mixed seafood here pre-pandemic. The price at the time was around $80 I think and probably worth it. It was a really nice spread, in the white sauce, and my wife and I both gobbled it up with the pasta. At $40 per person, it was worth it. However, during our last visit, this dish is now at a market price and I believe it's over $100. This is probably just because the cost of lobster has gone up so much. I recommend they just take the lobster out of this dish and incorporate other seafoods.

The Ragu has a mix of sausage, meatballs and brasciole, with pasta. The brasciole was dry, as other reviewers have indicated. Almost inedible.
The meatballs taste like mush and I feel like they incorporate a lot of leftover, uneaten bread from tables. So, consensus at the table was - gross, flavorless meatballs. On a positive note, the sausage was loved by all at the table. Yaay.

We tried the hot antipasto this last time and it was eh. There were some tasty, individual items on the platter, but also several slops of other things. It overall felt too salty and greasy. The ravioli and eggplant were good. Clams were good. Too few mussels and everything else was just greasy/salty.

Overall, it's ok here. The portions can certainly fill your bellies if you're hungry walking around NYC for Italian food. If you want "good" Italian food, there are better places to go.

6/2/2019

Crowded after a Broadway show. The hot antipasto plate was mostly deep fried stuff and a lot of cheesy dips. The Brussels Sprouts were the stand out. Service was top notch. We didn't have reservations but the captain seated us promptly at a high table.

3/12/2019

The Hot antipasto was delicious. The mussels, I could of ate them all day and I really appreciated the fired raviolis on the platter. The fried Calamari was so crispy and hot.  However, I wish the calamari and the hot antipasto were brought out at the same time.

The pasta was with bolognese sauce it was average, nothing special. The chicken was generally acceptable.

We ordered a pitcher of sangria.
Pros of the sangria: one of the tastiest sangrias in NYC
Cons of the sangria: 70% ice in the pitcher.

9/3/2018

Been wanting to go to this restaurant for a really long time. Finally decided to go for our wedding anniversary! Made reservations about 2 weeks in advance. The day we went which was a weekend they were taking reservations only so i dont know of thats a policy so be sure to make reservations in advance on opentable to avoid issues. The portions were family style so super large id say each dish would feed 4 people. We got the chicken parm over spaghetti which was very good and the hot antipasto which allowed us to sample many of the different appetizers which was a good idea. The only issue I had was with the front desk waitress who was not giving us good seats at first ...she tried to seat us upstairs in the corner which I didn't really like... I requested to be seated in the main dining room before when making my reservation. And then when she chose a different seat it was all the way back in the corner as well -- meanwhile there were many other open tables for two people which I didn't understand but the issue was resolved shortly when I requested to sit in a specific seat.  For a special occasion and to make reservations in advance i expected a nice seating area! Didnt make it to dessert but overall would come back.

5/19/2018

First time at Carmine's on 44th St, the food was delicious... We ordered the Hot Antipasto and the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Everything is served family style (feeds 2-4). You are also given a big basket of bread when you are seated. We will return on our next visit to NY.

2/2/2018

Definitely make reservations in advance otherwise you'll be waiting for possibly 2 hours.  I came here with a 7pm appointment but came at 6pm because I thought I would get seated earlier.  The person at the front desk told me it'll be a 20 to 30 minute wait because they would seat the 6pm reservations first.  That's fair.  However, I wasn't seated until 7:05pm.  I would recommend that you just come during your actual reservation time to avoid excessive waiting.  The restaurant was quite punctual in sitting us but I wished they would have given me a better estimated wait time.

I came here on a double date and we order the hot antipasto and shrimp scampi over linguine.  For 4 people that was more than enough food.  The food portions are BIG!!

The hot antipasto does change every month according to our waitress, Janice. She was really attentive and made sure we had a good time.  The hot antipasto was great, super hot and tasty.  We all really enjoyed everything but particularly liked the baked clams.  

The shrimp scampi was good,  but not as amazing as the hot antipasto dish because the shrimp was slightly overcooked.  The linguine was flavorful, however, the sauce wasn't fully mixed into the pasta.  As a result, some of the linguine was a bit dry and bland.  Overall, the pasta was tasty.  

Come here with a party of 4 so you can eat and try different dishes Carmine has to offer. I will definitely be returning here in the near future.

1/16/2018

Food was amazing! Got the porterhouse which was melt in your mouth and the hot antipasto platter.

All amazing choices! The only downfall was that our waiter wasn't as attentive as I had hoped for but they where very busy.

11/24/2017

Always amazing! Sit at the narf and odder food, chat with the bartenders... Hot Antipasto platter you can't go wrong...Our NYC tradition...

4/20/2017

We were attracted to this place by the large crowd standing outside and decided to give it a go. YOU MUST MAKE A RESERVATION. After a while they will not let you enter if you do not have a reservation so make sure you book one. The place is huge, they have multiple halls each filled, and a nice big bar in the center of everything. I liked that the waiter was upfront and told us as soon as we were seated that the portions are HUGE and for the four of us we would not need more than two dishes. Everything is a ginormous size from their salads and appetizers to their pastas and entrees. Every dish is the same size, and a big one at that. The couple sitting next to us ordered a salad and even asked us if we would like any because it was just too much. We ordered the hot antipasto which is AN EXCELLENT DISH. If you are in the mood to try plenty of dishes get this platter, you will not regret it, everything was delicious. Their spaghetti and meatballs was pretty good. The meatballs were handmade and very soft but the sauce and pasta was nothing special. Overall it was a pleasant experience I just don't understand or appreciate the giant portion concept.

The one star is only because of the food size maybe because we had visited the UN and learnt about the nations where kids are dying of hunger and next we come here to see tons of food wasted. It is disgusting to see so much food being wasted.

2/6/2017

Came here before going to a Broadway Show....The staff is really what makes this place tick...our waitresses and waiters were on the spot making recommendations and telling us the easiest ways to order to get more for our money. We shared the Porterhouse (done medium on a platter of potatoes and onions and baked sausage) shared the penne ala vodka and Chicken Parm...we started with the hot antipasto, which really didnt get us excited as it is a whole tray that is baked in an oven and served to the table...alot of it was stuck to the bottom of the pan, and it was difficult to scrape out food on a burning hot pan.
But other than that, the rest of the meal was great and the prices are very reasonable for a NYC Theater District Restaurant. (around 50 a person)

12/18/2016

This was my first time trying Carmine's in the city and I have to say I was pretty impressed. When you walk in the place is decorated so beautifully with Christmas decor and lights all over. It made you really feel the Christmas season and gave the whole place a nice homey feel. The food was family style and the portion size is huge! For apps, we got the hot antipasto and fried calamari. Both equally delicious with a ton of food. The spinach artichoke stood out the most to me, its flavor was amazing, creamy and rich. For dinner, we ordered penne alla vodka, shrimp scampi, chicken parm, chicken francese and steamed broccoli. My favorite was the shrimp scampi, the flavor was on point with decent sized shrimp pieces cooked just right. The sauce in the dish was great as well. Carmines is big on using garlic for which I do not mind at all. Everything I ate was good and there was not one thing I tried that wasn't good. Drinks are also so good! Had a drink menu (not that big) but it's a full bar so they can make any drink you want. Definitely a must try.

12/13/2016

Went to dinner with a group of 6. Started off with the hot antipasto platter. Clams oreganto, muscles, eggplant rollatini, and calzone were my favorites in this appetizer. Our server Angelo forgot to put in the meatballs. Then for dinner we had the sole lemon special which tasted like scrambled eggs, I didn't really like the dish. The egg taste overpowered everything on the plate. Rigatoni bolgnese was very good. Meaty and saucy which is always good. We ordered veal saltibocca but veal in a lemon sauce came out. (Good job Angelo!) but they fixed it. The veal was tough so I didn't really like it. The gravy was really good though. For dessert we had the titanic which was delicious. Reservations were made months in advance and we didn't wait long for a table.

P.s sorry for any and all misspelling for menu items.

6/20/2016

Was packed but they gave us a cocktail table seat right away.  Was hard to get service initially because the waitress had a lot of tables but once she got to us, she stopped by often and was delightful.  Ordered the hot antipasto and the 4 pasta special for 2 of us.  It was enough food for a family of 6 to be extremely full.  Would go there again and again.

5/2/2016

Mamma Mia! The family-style Italian cuisine at Carmine's Restaurant is truly meant for sharing with friends or family. Each plate of food is big enough for 4-6 people to share with prices to match the bounty. This is homestyle Italian dining and not necessarily the best date spot unless you both can eat a ton of food and like the exact same things. Luckily, my wife and I fall into that category.

As we began to plow through the complimentary bread and a couple small glasses of Peppoli 2013 Chianti from Italy, our waiter balked when we ordered the Hot Antipasto appetizer ($33.95) AND the Porterhouse Steak ($84.95). He repeated over and over again, "there's no way you can finish it." He was almost right. Almost.

The Hot Antipasto Platter had EIGHT (Otto) different delicious appetizers including:
* Broccoli Rabe with Sausage
* Capellini Pie
* Lamb Meatballs
* Zuppa de Mussels
* Eggplant Rollatini
* Baked Arancini
* Stuffed Mushrooms
* and what appeared to be Baked Clams Oreganata with Bacon

It's a great way to share and taste a lot of flavors. Bring friends ... or not.

And, then it was time for the huge 42-ounce Porterhouse Steak delicately sliced off the bone and served with mouthwatering medium-rare pinkness. This huge slab of meat was surprisingly tender and juicy ... and the best part of our feast. I don't know if Italy is famous for their steaks, but Carmine's should be famous for the Broiled Porterhouse Steak. Did we eat it all? Oh, you bet we did!

The huge family-style dishes and fascinating flavors of Carmine's will add pounds and memories to your New York vacation while leaving you and your diet shouting in unison, "Mamma Mia!"

2/11/2016

Good: We ordered Hot Antipasto and Shrimp scampi, which tasted great. The portion is huge. The waiter was friendly and attentive.
Bad : The portion is too huge. So you have to choose a dish that your party would agree to have too. Personally, I would rather finish the food at a restaurant and not bring the leftover home. So that it has a huge portion was just meh.

2/8/2016

Stale bread,  Poor service

Could not identify some food items on the hot antipasto.  Tray was hotter than the food.

1/20/2016

After reading all the good reviews by my fellow yelpers here, we decided to check out this place.

The place itself is huge, however there was about 20 minute wait before we got a table for two on a second floor. The server was very nice to us and walked us through the menu. We ended up ordering Hot Antipasto, which is like a sampler, and a lasagna. Everything was delicious, however people keep in mind that portions are huge, I mean really HUGE! We ended up taking more food with us than we actually ate there. Next time me and my girlfriend go there we just gonna stick to one entree.

Overall it is a great Italian restaurant! Will be definitely coming back again!