CarnivaleBright decor, bright foodThe decor is very bright and very circus like.
The food is great, we had the meat and cheese tasting plate to start which was very good.
Mains are a selection of meats, fish and a few exotic choices.
Deserts are decadent, the special is the cotton candy and popcorn6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAMAZINGI absolutely loved it, anyone who hasn't been yet is crazy!!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMpretty good- but not greatWonderful ambience- service was good- menu looks fabulous but the food just isnt. Its good- its a fun place- I just wanted the tastes to be WOW. The live music was great!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AM1st Time dinerFood was fantastic. Our server was friendly and not over bearing and annoying by coming up every 2 minutes. When we needed him he was there (Kevin, I think his name was) and came back with food and drinks very quickly. I will absolutely be back.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMFestive and Fun!We go to Carnivale as much for the festive atmosphere as we do for the food! It's always lively, the service is predictably excellent (the servers are very personable, know the details of how the food is prepared, and provide helpful suggestions), and the food is unique (and delicious!).6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding!The food was absolutely unbelievably tasty and the service was impeccable! The server was extremely nice and very educated on the products/services/history of Carnivale! Also, it was very nice to have the managers checking in to make sure everything was going smoothly throughout the night. The ambiance is also amazing! The beautiful decorations and bright colored walls made some great backgrounds for our pictures! I had a great time and wonderful birthday at Carnivale. I will DEFINITELY come back and will recommend this place to everyone/anyone I know! Thanks!6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat As Usual with a slight changeI usually get the ropa vieja appetizer and I was surprised to fins that they'd changed the look of them to mini tacos. They were still good though. I also got the arrachera and it was delicious. My friend got the scallops. She didn't like the potato/polenta-like startch that they were served on but she didn't describe why, so I can't tell ya! But all of my food was delicious.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMexcellent mealI made a reservation online which was very easy. When my group got there, we were promptly seated. The server was very nice and understanding of my dietary needs. The food was amazing, the drinks were delicious. I also appreciated the cotton candy dessert that was given to me for my bday. I would come back again for any special occasion or group dinner. Thank you!6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMDate place and a halfCarnivale is outstanding Latin food in a vibrant atmosphere. They have something for everyone. Delicious drinks, exceptional food, wonderful service. I've been several times before, and I will keep going back.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMevery time a great experience!carnivale full of color, with gentle service and awesome food! we love it !!! they dont have kids menu BUT the chef fixed an amazing mac and cheese for my 4 years old! thanks a lot!!!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMNever DisappointsThis was my second time at the restaurant and it was my boyfriends (who is a "new foodie") first and we were both very impressed! The food is outstanding, we got the Ropa Vieja for appetizer.... I've had this before and wanted my boyfriend to try, it's amazing and the braised beef just melts in your mouth. He ordered the Paella and I ordered the Pernil (braised pork shoulder) and both meals were delicious. I have to say the yuca puree in the pernil dinner was outstanding and completely made the dish! Great food and we had a nice time!6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food and ambience wereThe food and ambience were great. Carnivale is a very happy place to be. However, our waitress could have been nicer. Her attitude did not match Carnivale's. Yet, overall, it was a great experience.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMNice ambience with good foodNice ambience with good food and very good service5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMVery Special PlaceI went to celebrate my birthday here, and everything was just perfect.
Service is great, the atmosphere is great and comfortable. Friendly staff and perfect food cooking.
I would recommend this place to anybody.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMClose to united centerWe were going to the Stones concert and one of our guests lives in Mexico and another Brazil.so I thought let's give them a taste of home. We weren't disappointed. Food was very good as we're the drinks. Bill was reasonable. We'll be back again.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a good time at CarnivaleWe returned for another evening of great food and excellent food! I want to give the staff an extra thank you for their thoughtfulness when I misplaced my cell phone on Sunday evening. I was so happy when Andrea called Monday (Memorial Day) to tell me my phone had been found. My husband and I will be back soon!5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMbest valueEvery dish was great. Timely service. Very strong caipirinhas. Vibrant atmosphere. Our waitresses was part of the good experience we had.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMNo bread service!!!Italians love some bread with their dinner, please kind that in mind.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways GREATOur new "special occasion" spot. Always GREAT!!! Was really wanting my usual but strayed away and was not disappointed in the least. Ended with organic strawberry cotton candy and a chocolate cigar was a playful treat. Most definitely recommended!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMFavorite restaurantLove the ropa vieja appetizer and the arrachera entree. Carnivale has a beautiful dining room, vibrant and colorfu. It's worth going there just to see the main dining room! When my friend from Brooklyn comes to town, her first request coming from the airport is to go straight to Carnivale.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMIt was my first visit andIt was my first visit and it was great. The atmosphere
was great and the food was wonderful. I will
return!5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Latin ExperienceI travel to Chicago three or four times a year and always try to get to Carnivale. Vibrant atmosphere, great drinks and wonderful blend of Latin food from various cultural areas. A very special and unique place to eat. Expect a fairly noisy restaurant during peak hours, they always have music and the cathedral ceilings add to the volume - but that's also what makes it a great experience.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMUnique!!I have been going to Carnivale for a while, usually on special occasions with visitors out of town. This is a great example of what Chicago is all about... Unique, colorful, diverse, trendy... way apart from typical franchasize or chain restaurant.
Take your visitor or dates to Carnivale, they'll have a good impression... Friendly staff, live music. One off my favorite places.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome place!Very cool and hip spot. Great for groups or anyone looking for a fun and unique dining experience. The decor is really different and really adds to the ambience. The food was out of this world. I had the churrasco and it was cooked to perfection. I am from New Jersey and was in Chicago to celebrate my 30th birthday. Carnivale was the perfect spot for my birthday dinner. I was extremely pleased with the service as well. Just an overall great restaurant!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place for a reunion!I had a reunion with a couple of friends at Carnivale and it was the perfect choice! Great food, though when I asked the waiter why the "Ropa Vieja" dish was completely different from the last time I ordered that dish, he said there is a new chef there which wanted to make the dish a different style, not a good choice to change that dish so drastically in my opinion. A year ago when I had the "Ropa Vieja" the dish was much better. It is a Cuban dish, that now tastes Mexican because it was put in a hard shell taco. I love Mexican food, but expect my Cuban dish to taste you know...Cuban. The music was great and it was very nice and intimate.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGood vibeCarnivale was a great chose for that night. Friends came form Germany, and they were amazed of the place and the food. I would like to thank you guys, for getting the nice seats (second floor, at the end of the stairs on the balcony), it was awesome. This is the second time I’ve been there in two months; in both occasions we got a nice seats. Thanks a lot!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGood, but I was expecting moreTook my wife for a pre-anniversary dinner, and from what we were told, Carnivale was supposed to be this incredible dining experience. My wife and I walked away like...meh..Don't get me wrong, the ambience of the place is off the charts, and its festive atmosphere is evident the moment you walk in. I think our experience failed to live up to the hype. The food was very well seasoned and tasted fine, but I was displeased at the smaller portion size compared to the amount of $$$$ we paid. I would go again, but only as an invited guest of someone.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding service!We had our waitress chose our 4 course meal with wine pairings. Outstanding from beginning to end; highly recommended!5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing restaurantWent here for my fiancee and I's anniversary. Had an amazing experience and dinner. Started with the calimari which was a great twist on a classic app. We both had the arrachera for dinner. It was cooked perfectly and the rice and beans perfectly complimented the skirt steak. They even brought us out a complimentary cotton candy and carmel corn dessert for our celebration! I would highly recommend this place and meal to anyone and everyone.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMSomething NewAbsolutely loved this new place. The food was amazing and the place it's self was very modern and great. Overall we had a great time and hopefully will be back soon!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMbrunch at CarnivaleWe spent a fantastic Mother's Day at Carnivale. We all wish the breakfast menu had more options but what we had was fantastic (eggs benedict, quiche, fish tacos, ceviche, steak and eggs). Menu not suitable for kids (though they tried) everything is rather fancy for basic eaters. .cocktails were great and bruch affordable. Valet only 5.00. Service was a bit slow but efficient. Great big room and colorfully fun! We all agreed it was a great choice. Room was a bit chilly.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Mother's Day BrunchLoved the menu options. The Bloody Maria was awesome. Great ambience/music. Service on point, too!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMImpresses finicky out of town guesthosted a business dinner and my out of town guests were very very impressed with everything from the ambience to the food - very successful evening all around.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMUnique -Delicious food, impeccable service and pleasant ambiance5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMLOVE LOVE LOVETwo out of town friends came in wanted to go to somewhere semi fancy
CARNIVALE was the obvious choice from the great food to the colorful decor this place is and always will be a show stopper for a great night out. Get the Scallops, the Short Ribs or any Ceviche!!!!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMYum!Good food as always. The service was a bit slow considering the restaurant wasn't very busy, but the food came out relatively quickly.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMFun, unique environment for dinnerMy first dining experience in this neighborhood. Went there with a group including a picky-eater type matriarch who was, at first, off-put by the menu. She was afraid she wouldn't find anything she'd like to eat (pessimistic approach), but decided to give the fish of the day a try. We sampled the guacamole (average to above average at best), ropa vieja (served in this mini-taco presentation, absolutely one of my favorite apps in the city now), an order of some of the most flavorful empanadas I've ever had and a delightful ceviche (the Mixto). I had the Arepa which was surprisingly satisfying as I'm a big meat eater and this is a meat-free dish. Others in my party lauded the steaks and paella. Didn't save room for dessert, next time!4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMMy family and I came hereMy family and I came here for my birthday--everything was perfect and I had a blast. Great food, great service ( great drinks :) )4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWent for my bf's birthdayWent for my bf's birthday dinner. The food was amazing! Full house but not too noisy. He ordered the skirt steak which he said was awesome. I ordered the pernil and it was soooo tender, melted in my mouth. We both had the Carnivale Margarita and they were very strong! We are tequila drinkers so we didn't mind, but if you do not drink very much, be sure to take caution. Overall we were very pleased and plan to dine there again!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOur family celebrated ourOur family celebrated our daughter's 23rd birthday at Carnivale. What a fantastic evening. The drinks, h'ordeurves, appetizers, and main course were excellent. Carnivale will be placed on our "must go to" restaurant again.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMI took my wife there for ourI took my wife there for our 1st anniversary last Saturday and was very satisfied with the service and the food! We had a great time! We were even given a glass of champagne for our anniversary and it was much appreciated!
Thank you for making our first anniversary a great memory we will have forever!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOur first time after hearingOur first time after hearing about how great it it.
Our waitress, Tracey was wonderful! The food was amazing.
The atmosphere is very cool and energetic.
Check out the original art work all around you.
Very colorful, playful and fun.
We definitely found a favorite restaurant and we can't wait to go back!!!!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMFun atmosphere. ExcellentFun atmosphere. Excellent food. Salsa dancing on Thursday nights.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMVibrant flair of colors. HugeVibrant flair of colors. Huge main dining room with good food. Bar was ok.. Food was very tasty. Grilled octopus superb. Scallops were also very good as was the churrasco. Service although reviwed as sketchy at times was excellent for us. 1-10 scale..an solid 8.5 overall.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a favorite of ours,This is a favorite of ours, and we are rarely disappointed. The service we received by Moises was outstanding and he really made our dining experience that much better.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat atmosphere to catchGreat atmosphere to catch up with old friends over a great dinner!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and a very festiveGreat food and a very festive atmosphere. If you haven't been, you need to go and try out the drinks and food!!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMwe were visiting from Seattlewe were visiting from Seattle to spend time with our young adult granddaughter and this was a great place to do it.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMCoconut mojito was amazing!Coconut mojito was amazing! Food, service, environment was great.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMAlthough we were late forAlthough we were late for our reservation (arrived at 7:15 for 6:30 reservation), we were welcomed and seated in about 15 minutes. The person who waited on us offered good suggestions for drinks . Service was prompt and courteous. I'll definitely go again.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AM