Carmelina's

What a great, great experience. I can understand why this is the hardest reservation in Boston. We walked in on a Monday at like 5:15 and were lucky to be seated right away. About 15 minutes later the place was packed on there was no room. To put more context to how busy this place is, this was during a Nor'easter storm - so it was raining like crazy and super windy outside. Our server was Alina(sp?) and she was fantastic. Had wonderful suggestions and was just super attentive and sweet. The wine list is not only expansive, but also extremely reasonably priced! The crazy alfredo is definitely the highlight of the menu, with a nice spice to it while still being tasty and light! Looking forward to coming here again!

Love, love, love Carmelina's! It is a very small restaurant, so highly recommend making a reservation. Someone canceled, so luckily, I got a reservation. The service was great. The servers were not on top of you and checked on me occasionally. I didn't feel rushed. The food was delicious. The beet salad was tasty, and the bolognese was heavenly. The portions are large. You won't go wrong eating at Carmelina's.

We were fortunate that we were able to get seating last minute. I would highly recommend trying to get reservations as early as you can...as many locals and tourists alike are always booking up the reservations fast. If not...you may be waiting like 45min to like 1.5hr+ Service was very welcoming and felt like you were visiting friends you haven't seen in a long time. Food however is flavorful and simple. Pricing and portions are great too. Highly recommend the pesto fusilli, and meatballs. I wish I had stomach space for the mushrooms, as well as the carbonara.

Carmelina's was a perfect place to grab lunch after spending my morning walking The North End. I did not have a rsvp but a spot for one was available, and I was seated. The host was also a waiter and he was amazing, everyone at Carmelina's is so nice. I was seated at the bar that overlooks the Chefs while they make those delicious meals. They move quietly, quickly and just like two well oiled machines, dishes come out fast. I ordered the garlic shrimp and it was a burst of flavor. The shrimp were fresh and tender but not overcooked, the pasta perfection in every bite. The buttery, white wine sauce was seasoned just right. I also grabbed a salad that could have been shared by 2-3 people. It was fresh and crunchy. The service was top and prompt. I went two days in a row, it was that good, made a reservation for the second day though. The space is small so be mindful of people. It's definitely on my list to return to on my next Boston Vacation. Pictures are from both days.

Nice atmosphere, tasty food and big food portions (wasn't able to finish my plate) and food arrived fast. I deducted a star because the waiter seemed offended that I am paying with card. I needed some assistance with the payment device but the waiter just left and didn't offer assistance. And promised a bag to carry the remainder of my meal but never provided it.

Made a reservation far in advance and this place did not disappoint. Ordered calamari for appetizer and it was crispy, not overly battered and flavorful. For pastas- we ordered the frutti de mare, which had a variety of seafood mixed in a tomato based sauce. We also ordered the wild mushroom penne (it wasn’t too creamy and was my favorite and probably one of the best pastas I’ve had). The restaurant is a bit small and felt a bit cramp. Service was also a bit slow, but can understand why because they were super busy.

Small eatery with impressive menu. We had the usual fried calamari and was pleasantly surprised by its quality: light and delicate. We had two different pasta, both excellent. But the memorable one was the short ribs over yellow risotto. The flavor was so well balanced yet rich and intense. It’s definitely worth a visit.