IL Carino Restaurant

Great old world Italian style restaurant and great service. However very over priced on specials - double the menu average pricing. Was surprising.

My husband, daughter and I all enjoyed this restaurant very much. We started with the special clam appetizer. The clams were cooked perfectly in a most tasty garlic and oil sauce. I had the shrimp in a very tasty marinara (on the menu as spicy but I ordered no spice) and my husband and daughter both had the scampi. They also ordered a side of homemade pasta. It was all delicious. They shared the canolis for dessert. They were different texture than usual canoli but also delicious.

The waiter and bartender were so wonderful and welcoming. Great wine recommendation. Very tender and fresh fried calamari. Food was very delicious in this hidden UES gem.

Il Carino is truly a fantastic restaurant. I was recommended by a cousin to visit them. My first time there but for sure won’t be the last. The food is just amazing! Each dish is made of fresh and marvelous ingredients- with perfect seasoning and presentation. The service was just perfect, great timing on service, attentive but invisible, always gracious. The wine list is carefully curated and their desserts were delicious. Loved it!

We just finished another amazing meal at Il Carino. The Canellini Beans Cellery Soup was quite literally one of the best things we have ever tasted. The restaurant is beautiful and a fantastic oasis of calm on the Upper East Side. The salads were incredibly fresh, interesting and delicious. The Chicken Parmesan was unbelievable and the service was professional, friendly and perfect. Il Carino is one of the very best restaurants in New York every single time.

I & my significant other had a wonderful evening,
The food was amazing.
It was our first time there and the ambiance was amazing.
You felt the energy of others' strong presence there from before.
very much so of old school new york Italian vibe. I live for that.
Next time I am in the city I will be very much attending the spot.
Thank you so much for all the love and all the hospitality!

Kind Regards
Michael Fernandez
Cell - 786.234.5909

We were recommended by a friend to try Il Carino Restaurant. I have to say, what a wonderful experience. The food was super delicious and fresh, the service is very professional. We loved the Half Lobster Fra-Diavolo, the Gnocchi was very delicious, we ended with a Tiramisu, which was better than the one that I had in Rome a couple years ago. At the end the chef send us Porto on the house, which was very kind of him. The prices are very reasonable, I really recommend everybody to try this high class little restaurant.

Great food and service!

Wow! One of the beast meals we have ever eaten. We went into Il Carino. To start, we were treated very respectful and a little gracious and we were very well attended too. We ordered the salad with the Burrata special, which was perfect; creamy, fresh and delicious. I ordered chicken parm and a side order of pappardelle with mushrooms WOW!! Super!!, my husband had the lobster Fradiavolo with a homemade black pasta. There wasn’t a single bite left on any of our plates. Everything was delicious. The flambé, which they make in front of you, was great; awesome tiramisu and we were given aperitifs on the house. Everything is reasonable price for what you get, definitely the food is really amazing, you’re not rushed, service is great. For sure, we will go back and hardly recommended for everybody to try this small, lovely, romantic restaurant!!

I had been to this restaurant a couple of times before, and liked it. This time it was awful. I had reserved a table for 2, and we were seated right away, at 6:45pm, outside. Other tables were seated after us, but were served first. It took a very long time just to order a bottle of wine. Then we had to wait even longer to order our meal. We were drinking red wine, but the waiter was pushing the Dover Sole special, and he didn't mention the price. I ordered pasta with sausage and fra diavlo, and my guest was going to order risotto. It was getting very cold, so I said this was a good choice, but the waiter contradicted me and told her she should get the Dover Sole, which she did. Then it took a really long time for our food to arrive. We were already done with the wine, so had to order another to go with our meal. I did most of the pouring, as the waiter disappeared. When we were done, I asked for the check 3 times before it was brought. We were freezing cold. It was all terrible. I don't plan to go back.

Excellent service and delicious food and wine!

The food was the usual very good fare. The service could have been better, considering the amount of tables served. The part I dislike most is when dinner is over and I wait to catch the waiter's eye to get the bill... and wait... and wait.
The whole dinner experience would have been better appreciated if there were some heaters for the outside sitting.
I do intend to go back.

Great spot. Gulio is a gem. Food was delicious. Dessert fantastic. A real find

Service is so very friendly and attentive without being intrusive; Julio is a gem. Food is always great, and I almost always get one of the day's specials -- Mario, the chef, comes up with delicious alternatives daily -- several appetizers, and for entrees one each of pasta, fish, and meat. A great place for a date night or just dinner with friends. Highly recommended!

Great service and great food. Given the times, outdoor dining was the best option for us. Second Ave can be noisy at times.
The staff was fantastic, wine cellar with excellent options, live music greatly appreciated. Food was excellent as was the entire experience. Without doubt my wife and will come back again.

Cute little nice white table clothed Italian spot..with ample outdoor dining..!
Giulio is a gracious and welcoming host and was very nice and accommodating..!
The food was delicious and the bread and butter was excellent also..!
Thank you for a very pleasant dining experience and I look forward to returning soon..!

The food and service is second to none! They have tremendous specials every night, and a superb wine list. It’s simply the best Italian restaurant we have found in the UES - You won’t be disappointed!

Did very well with the outdoor dining setup, enjoyed the food, service was excellent.

Having read many reviews of IL Carino before making our reservation, we were very surprised to arrive and find no other diners. That's often not a great sign. Nonetheless we were seated.

The bread was cold and not really worthy of using up our carbs for, the mozzarella and tomato salad had unripened tomatoes and truly was a rather pathetic display. At that point we felt like getting up and walking out but we persevered hoping the main dish would be improved. While my appetizer( which I was having as an entree) very small portion of eggplant rolatini wasn't bad per-say, my husband's shrimp dish was unappealing and borderline nauseating. We couldn't get the check fast enough. Only one other couple ended up dining during our time there. We will not be back.

Best food and ambiance ever

Quality food and friendly, attentive service made outside dining a pleasure.

This place is absolutely amazing!! The staff and owners are so kind, and the food is unbelievably delicious. Do not miss out on this place, it’s truly a gem.

With outside dining it is not quite the same experience, particularly this night when it rained. The food was solid, not great, but certainly above average. The restaurant neglected to recognize our note that it was a birthday celebration and the value was a bit poor, but overall a solid 7 out of 10.

Worst meal I’ve had in a very long time. Staff was lovely but the food was disgusting.

Service was decent. The product was terrible. I dont like leaving this type of review but it was potentially the worst Italian ive had in years. They have a lot to work on.

My husband and I went here on the 2nd day of NYC reopening after Covid 19. The outdoor dining was safely and tastefully arranged (white tablecloths, regular chairs). The staff was professional, courteous and very helpful. Most importantly, the food was absolutely excellent!!

Great to dine again at Il Carino!
Food was delicious and Julio made us feel very welcome!

I had a great experience at IL Carino. The food was authentic and amazing. The decor was detailed and outstanding. The staff was friendly and the owner was there to welcome us and serve us. It was a great meal

Terrific! Will definitely be going back.

Everyone was very kind. Service was fantastic! Great ambience

Excellent service and delicious food made for a delightful dinner. The daily specials will satisfy all tastes.

Returning to have dinner in the restaurant in which we had our first date, 31 years ago.

Friendly local Italian restaurant with solid traditional veal , chicken & pasta dishes. A needed spot on the UES.

Always a wonderful experience. The specials are excellent, and the service is friendly and attentive.

All pasta dishes were very tasty. The pasta special, squid ink linguine with assorted sea food was exceptional. The squid was mouth watering tender - remarkable.

Il Carino is a small neighborhood gem with freshly made tasty dishes and attentive service. The staff is welcoming and eager to please and specials are offered that are tempting.

First time here. Great food. Neighborhood gem. Hope it stays open!

Fabulous! Excellent food, service was attentive but not intrusive. Bananas flambé for dessert. A delight from start to finish.

The food is outstanding. The service is excellent. Ambiance is great.

Return visit. Again, quite good meal with pleasant service. A little pricy for the venue, but it’s been consistently good.