Carmine’s in Times Square is the go-to spot for a lively family-style Italian feast, boasting massive portions and a bustling atmosphere that feels like a celebration every night.
"Come For: A second round of lasagna after Tony’s—and a surprisingly great free bread basket. Sinatra makes another appearance at Carmine’s, where the food is a few rungs below Tony’s, but the red sauce dinner theater is just as entertaining. Inside the 500-seat outpost of this New York institution (their original location is on the Upper West Side), Ol' Blue Eyes croons away, while servers scurry around with platters of penne alla vodka the size of flying saucers. Under the elaborate candelabra chandeliers and gigantic portraits of Jimmy Durante, the portions almost don’t feel as absurd as they are—until you’re already full, two meatballs in. It's all just tasty enough to go back for seconds, and every New Yorker should come at least once. Get the chicken parm and something with vodka sauce. " - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman, ciera velarde
"The servers at Carmine’s in Times Square have a little routine they like to do. They’ll let you start listing your order, then playfully interject with, “You haven’t seen our portion sizes, have you?” Look around, and you’ll notice barely-contained piles of calamari, and spaghetti platters the size of flying saucers. Everything at this 500-seat institution (with an original location on the Upper West Side) is big. It’s grand-scale Italian dinner theater, under candelabra chandeliers and watchful portraits of Jimmy Durante. Order the massive chicken parm, anything with vodka sauce, and as many $20 quartinos of wine as it takes to wash down all that salt. There’s better Italian food in the city, but every New Yorker should come at least once, preferably with a big group (unless you want to eat leftover manicotti for days)." - Neha Talreja
"My favorite spot to eat before the theater in Times Square is Carmine’s. Every time I go it feels like a special event is happening." - ByAli Francis
"Carmine’s, the Italian restaurant that serves family-style dishes in Times Square, took the top spot on the list with an estimated $39.1 million in sales and 469,803 meals served." - Susan Stapleton
"An electrical fire forced popular Times Square Italian restaurant Carmine’s to close early Friday morning. The fire was caused by an underground transformer right outside the restaurant’s location. All employees were evacuated and no one was hurt. The restaurant states they are working as fast as possible to get it re-opened. Carmine’s recently hosted former vice president Joe Biden." - Carla Vianna
